Red Dragon Emperor of Ravenous Flames
by Shiranui Amaterasu
Summary: Rias thought she was doomed. She had underestimated Kokabiel and now thousands of lives were going to pay the price. Never in her wildest dreams did the crimson-haired princess imagine that she'd be saved by the Sekiryuutei in a burst of flames. [One-shot]


**Disclaimer: I do not own the High School DxD series. **

* * *

It was the absolute worst scenario.

Rias Gremory watched grimly as her precious peerage barely pick themselves up after the brutal assault by the fallen angel Kokabiel.

Koneko's strength had barely fazed him.

Yuuto's speed had been surpassed.

The holy-sword wielder Xenovia with the legendary blade Durandal had been outmatched.

Even the combined magic powers of Akeno and herself had merely scratched the leader of Grigori.

This was the power of someone who was recorded in the bible. Who had managed to survive the three-way war between the angels, devils, and fallen angels. Compared to the fierce battles of hundreds of years ago, the resistance Rias and her peerage had shown were only playful scuffles in the eyes of Kokabiel.

She had never stood a chance.

And now she was going to die. Her peerage was going to die. So would her long-time friend Sona, and her peerage who were valiantly maintaining the barrier around the battlefield. This town and the thousands of lives within it would perish as well. Not to mention the countless number of deaths that would result from the war Kokabiel was hoping to restart.

All because she had failed.

"I had thought that the little sister of Sirzechs Lucifer would have been able to entertain me for a little longer. Alas, you are too young and inexperienced for me have such hopes. Kahahaha!" Hovering in the sky, the ten-winged fallen angel sneered at his injured opponents, taking delight in the dominance he had over them.

Holy light gathered into his hand, forming a large and deadly spear. Casually lifting it over his head, he gave the Princess of Destruction one final glance.

"Goodbye Rias Gremory. Your death will be the spark that reignites the flames of war."

Kokabiel's arm swung down and Rias instinctively closed her eyes.

Despite her pride as the heiress of the Gremory clan, she couldn't contain her fear of death. There was still so much of the world she wanted to see, experiences she wanted to feel, and it was all going to end with an agonizing death by a spear of light…

'_Wait… Is death by impalement supposed to feel so warm and comfortable?'_

Tentatively opening her eyes, Rias discovered a pair of gentle brown orbs gaze worryingly at her.

"Hyoudou… Issei…?"

"Are you okay Gremory-sempai?"

Indeed it was the face of the brown-haired second-year student who had transferred into Kuoh Academy a few months prior.

'_I must be hallucinating… There's no way a normal human like Issei-kun could be here right now…' _

Rias had done a thorough background check on the teenage boy after he had caught her interest, but nothing extraordinary had come up. For all intents and purposes, he was an ordinary orphan who had lost both his parents in an unfortunate accident. The only thing of note was that he was a childhood friend to the holy-sword wielder Shidou Irina, and the girl herself had confirmed that the boy had no knowledge of the supernatural world.

'_What a silly fantasy. To have Issei-kun appear and carry me to safety like a damsel in distress. But…'_

Wrapping her arms around the boy's neck, the crimson-haired princess brought her face closer to the boys own before pressing their lips together.

'_I might as well enjoy it while I can. I always did find him rather cute.'_

"Nyah~ You sure work fast Issei-chin!"

Rias furrowed her brow. That wasn't a voice she recognized.

Removing her lips from Issei's, the Gremory heiress tilted her head to the source of the mysterious voice.

A familiar black-haired nekomata with a mischievous grin plastered on her face met her stare.

'_This is just getting stranger and stranger… Why would Koneko's older sister Kuroka, an SS-rank stray devil be in my fantasy?'_

"Ara ara Buchou, perhaps this isn't the best time to show your feelings?"

'_Akeno too?'_

Slowly raising her hand to her cheek, Rias pinched the flesh hard.

'_Ouch! That hurts… That hurts… So that means…?!'_

Slowly raising her head, the princess's eyes once again locked onto Issei's own and the boy replied with a warm smile. "Ah, I never knew you felt that way about me Gremory-sempai… Um, I don't know how I should properly reply but thank you."

In a split second Rias's face turned red enough to match her hair. Jumping out of the teenager's arms, the usually calm and composed princess found herself completely flustered.

"Ah! Um, I thought- That is-! Dreaming…!"

"Oi! Oi! Who are you to interrupt my fun?"

The gruff voice of Kokabiel brought Rias out of her panic and back into her current predicament. Observing her surroundings in detail, she found that she was several meters away from where she previously stood.

'_Did Issei move me away from Kokabiel's attack?'_

Causally placing his hands into his pockets, the boy nonchalantly glanced at the fallen angel. "You could say I'm a concerned student of Kuoh Academy. You roughed up my childhood friend Irina quite badly, not to mention my fellow schoolmates here."

"Hmph! As if an unknown like you can do anything about it. Perish along with your friends!"

Light once again crackled into existence in Kokabiel's hands, this time with an even greater intensity and Rias immediately turned to warn Issei about the danger. Even if he had somehow saved her from the first attack, Kokabiel was an ancient fallen angel with hundreds of years of experience. His next attack wouldn't miss.

"Issei, that's Kokabiel! You have to r-" Her warning died in her throat when she caught sight of Issei's expression. There was no terror, no concerns of any kind. Only ice-cold indifference.

It was as if he was facing an overly inferior opponent.

The spear left the fallen angel's hand and arced towards the brown-haired boy at supernatural speeds.

And promptly stopped dead, scant inches away from the boy's chest.

His left hand, now covered in a strange red gauntlet, had caught the spear of light in midair.

"Ddraig, triple boost."

[BOOST! X3]

With the odd announcement from the gauntlet, the light spear's intensity increased dramatically. Lifting the charged up weapon, Issei threw it back to the original owner.

Caught by surprise, the leader of Grigori barely managed to dodge his own weapon. Taking a few black feathers from the fallen angel's wings, the spear travelled farther into the sky before exploding in blinding light.

It was Kokabiel who recognized the gauntlet first.

"Boosted Gear?! Then you are the-"

"Current Sekiryuutei Hyoudou Issei at your service."

For the first time since meeting him, Rias saw genuine fear crawl onto Kokabiel's expression.

"The Red Dragon Emperor of Ravenous Flames?! Y-You're supposed to be dead! There were reports of your death after you tried to leave the Khaos Bri-"

"Rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated. Now then Kokabiel, since the little one back home is probably starving and only Asia's looking after her-" At this point nearly everyone gave Issei a strange look, though Rias noted that Kuroka merely giggled. "-I'm willing to give you a one-time offer. Deactivate the spell targeting the town and leave. If you do that, I'll let you keep your life."

Hearing the proposal, Kokabiel's temper flared. Here was a kid who dared to toy with him, a fallen angel who was even recorded in the bible. "Even if you are the Sekiryuutei… YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU BOSS ME AROUND?!"

Seeing his opponent's reaction, Issei sighed. "They never agree with negotiations… Kuroka, set up a barrier. The current one seems like it will fall apart soon."

"Okay, but you'll have to owe me a favour, nya~"

Releasing another sigh of defeat, Issei reluctantly agreed to the terms. "Hai, hai. We can talk about it after we get home. Gremory-sempai? You might want to take a few steps back. It will be dangerous around me but I'll finish this up in a few seconds."

Moving away from the boy as instructed, Rias pondered on the new development. There were so many things that still confused her, such as the appearance of Kuroka and how Issei had managed to hide his identity.

'_Still, if it's true… If he really is the Sekiryuutei… Then maybe we stand a chance…"_

The strange sensation of involuntary transportation seized everyone in the school grounds, indicating the creation of a high-level barrier. As if it was the start signal, both Kokabiel and Issei acted as soon as the sensation settled.

Rias couldn't help but shudder as a wave of overwhelming fear hit every devil in the vicinity. The amount of light gathered in Kokabiel's hands far outstripped anything she had seen thus far, and her devil instincts screamed at her to run away. Not only was the gathered energy enough to vaporize a high-class devil with the merest of touches; it would also wipe Kuoh Academy, perhaps even the whole town, out of existence.

Turning to Issei, the princess fully expected the brown-haired teenager to activate Balance Breaker and don the fabled Scale Mail armour of the Sekiryuutei. To her surprise, aside from his armoured left arm, the boy remained in his Kuoh Academy uniform. Staring unimpressed at Kokabiel's gathered light energy, Issei simply raised his gauntlet in opposition.

"Devouring Flame Barrier."

With just those three simple words, great gouts of flame roared into existence around the boy before converging into a wall of fire. Rias's sharp senses found the conflagration to be anything but ordinary. There was something about the blood red flames that set her off, as if the fire were alive and possessed a primal instinct.

She got the sense that the flames were _**hungry**_.

"DIE SEKIRYUUTEI! PERISH ALONG WITH THESE SHITTY DEVIL TRASH!"

Light collided with fire, and it was as if a miniature sun had been created.

Through the cracks of her fingers used to shield her eyes, Rias caught a glimpse of the two overwhelming techniques clashing. What she saw caused her to gasp in astonishment.

The power Kokabiel had put into his attack had transformed his usual spears of light into something akin to a meteorite. That condensed sphere of light should have been unstoppable, capable of destroying anything in its way.

Yet, the attack couldn't penetrate an inch past Issei's barrier of flames.

As the light made contact with the fire, it appeared to lose its luminosity, fading away into the raging conflagration. In response, the flames grew brighter and larger, more ferocious than before.

The flames were consuming the light.

In less than three seconds, Kokabiel's attack was eradicated.

Seeing the conclusion of the clash, Issei once again raised his left hand into the air. The sound of his fingers snapping together could be heard even above the roar of the flames and as if on command, the inferno twisted itself into a vortex before gathering into his hand. Within a split second, a bright ball of fire gathered into his outstretched palm, no bigger than a soccer ball.

After giving the fireball an unimpressive glance, Issei snorted. "Is that all Kokabiel? You barely fed my flames."

"I-I-Impossible! Even if you are the Sekiryuutei… To stop my most powerful attack without Balance Breaker…?!"

It was a complete reversal of earlier. The ancient fallen angel Kokabiel, who had been gleefully toying with Rias and her peerage, was now being toyed with instead.

"Balance Breaker would be too wasteful for someone like you, Kokabiel. Despite your status as a fallen angel recorded in the bible, you rely too much on your overwhelming power. You lack variety, technique, finesse. Despite your want of want of war, you yourself got complacent."

[BOOST! X5]

The fireball swelled, bloating to the size of a compact sedan.

"For trying to destroy this town and start a war, for trying to kill my fellow schoolmates, for disrupting my peaceful life, and for hurting Irina-chan… I'll have you _burn_."

The inferno enveloped Kokabiel before he even had time to say his final words. A firestorm, appearing for only an instant, before dissipating into nothingness.

There were no bones, no ashes, no scorch marks of any kind. Not a trace of the ancient fallen angel remained. If she had not witnessed it herself, Rias would not have believed that such powerful being had been killed here.

The princess shuddered. Those flames had possessed so much power, yet the boy had been able to control it to such a degree that it left no traces.

'_Just how strong are you Hyoudou Issei?'_

The person in question turned to Rias, a warm smile once again plastered on his face. "It's a little late, but are you and your peerage uninjured Gremory-sempai?"

After seeing such an impressive display of power, the innocent question caught the princess by surprise. "Y-Y-Yes! We're f-fine!"

"Great! I'm sure you have a lot of questions right now but-"

The cat ears on Kuroka's head suddenly twitched, catching the boy's attention. "Ah, there's a naughty dragon spying on us, nyan."

Hearing that, Issei palmed his face and groaned in frustration. "You can come out now Vali, we know you're here!"

Answering the teenager's call, the sky twisted and a winged figure in white armour abruptly appeared. The radiant white plate armour studded with jewels, the eight wings of light, and the pressure felt from the figure's mere presence. Everyone recognized the newcomer instantly.

The Hakuryuukou. The eternal nemesis of the Sekiryuutei.

"I finally found you, Issei."

"Vali. You have a special reason to be here? Or is it just for me?" Issei's previously lax attitude had all but disappeared. Every muscle in his body had tensed up, ready to move at a moment's notice.

"Hi Hakuryuukou~! It's nice to see you again nya~!" Kuroka on the other hand shared none of Issei's sentiments.

Wholly ignoring the carefree nekomata, Vali remained entirely focused on Issei. "I was sent to take care of a certain wayward fallen angel, but since you've apparently done the job for me-" The White Dragon Emperor's form disappeared, before reappearing directly in front of his counterpart in a combat stance. "-how about we settle our match now?"

The panic that had faded since Kokabiel's death came flooding back for Rias. Not once in history had the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou met and not fought to the death.

'_If they fight right here, right now, the whole school- no, the whole town will be destroyed!'_

There was nothing Rias could do about it. Even if both her and Sona's peerages were in top form, she doubted they could create a barrier strong enough to contain two Longinus wielders' powers. In their current exhausted state, evacuating themselves to safety was difficult enough.

"No."

'_What…?!'_

"I don't have time today Vali… And even if I did, the condition isn't ideal right now to settle our grudge."

The Hakuryuukou looked ready to object, but abruptly stopped himself. "I see… Hmph, indeed it wouldn't be interesting if we fight now."

Taking into the air, Vali turned to Issei one last time. "Are you taking good care of her?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Receiving the reply to his mysterious question, the Hakuryuukou left, flying deep into the night sky.

Seeing Vali depart, Issei started walking towards the school exit. "Let's go Kuroka. Gremory-sempai, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The pair disappeared before any of the devils could think to stop him.

xxxxx

The walk back to their house was unusually quiet for the dragon cat duo. Normally the mischievous nekomata would have been clinging to Issei's arm by now, putting his restraint to the test with innuendo after innuendo. But tonight, the girl walked a pace slower than the boy, her usual impish personality replaced by one of melancholy.

And Issei knew exactly why.

"Kuroka, are you sure you don't want to speak to your sister?"

The question caused her to pause. With a forced smile on her face, Kuroka returned the question with another. "Hm~? What do you mean?"

Although it was difficult to tell from appearance alone, Rias Gremory's Rook, Toujou Koneko, was actually the little sister of Kuroka. The two had become separated after Kuroka supposedly gone berserk, killing their old master and forcing her to flee the underworld. Left behind and scorned by the devils for her sister's actions, the younger nekomata had grown to hate her older sibling.

The truth behind the incident was more complicated.

"I'm sure… if you take the time to explain-"

"It doesn't matter."

"Eh…?"

"No matter what my excuses are, it doesn't change the fact that I almost got Shirone executed. Besides… Shirone isn't a kitten anymore; she doesn't need her Onee-san."

"You shouldn't say that."

Issei's voice had become weary, surprising his companion.

"…You're her only family left in this world. Even if she harbours hatred against you, I'm sure there's a part of her that misses you... Take my advice Kuroka, reconcile with her while you still can. In this turbulent world, you never know when the chance may disappear…"

"Issei…" The black-haired nekomata understood that the last part was directed to the both of them.

"Enough with the depressing talk! Let's hurry home! I don't want to know what that girl would do to my house if I starve her any longer." Grabbing Kuroka's hand, the brown-haired boy broke into a run, dragging the girl along.

Stumbling to match the sudden increase in speed, Kuroka's melancholy slowly faded away.

xxxxx

"We're back!"

Issei's announcement barely left his mouth before the sound of rapid footsteps rebounded down the hall. Even with the advance warning the boy barely had enough time to brace himself before a black missile latched onto his legs.

Looking down, Issei's eyes met a black-haired little girl dressed in a Gothic Lolita outfit. While the girl was largely expressionless, Issei had known her long enough to understand that she was a touch annoyed.

"I, am hungry."

It was hard to believe that this little girl was actually the second most powerful being in the world, the Ouroboros Dragon Ophis.

Without a second thought, Issei bent down and patted the Dragon God on the head. "Sorry about being late Ophis, something came up at school. I'll start making dinner soon okay?"

Hearing another set of footsteps, Issei glanced down the hall to see a blonde-haired girl around the same age as himself. The girl, seeing Issei's return, smiled cheerfully. "Issei-san, welcome home! Ah, I'm sorry about Ophis-chan. She ran out before I could stop her."

Asia Argento, a former nun who possessed a Sacred Gear capable of instantly healing wounds. Issei had rescued her from a group of fallen angels after she had been excommunicated from the Church.

Lifting the little Dragon God off of Issei, Asia proceeded to carry Ophis back to the living room. "I'll keep Ophis-chan occupied then while we wait for you, Issei-san."

"Thanks Asia!"

Watching as the former nun cart the Ouroboros Dragon away like a misbehaving child, Kuroka snickered. "Ophis-chan sure has opened up a lot, nya."

"Mn. I'm happy to see her change from her past self… But, I'm not entirely sure of the bad habits she's picked up from you Kurok- Whoa?!" The brown-haired boy stumbled, barely managing to steady himself from a bad fall.

Kuroka was immediately worried. "Are you okay Issei-chin…?"

Wincing a little, the boy waved the concerned nekomata away. "I'm fine… Just tripped on the step. Can you lay out the tableware Kuroka? I need to run back to my room and get changed."

Without even waiting for a reply, Issei hurried down the hall.

xxxxx

Safe in the privacy of his own room, Issei finally released his façade. Gritting his teeth, his entire body began to convulse. The pain that had been blooming inside his body since the end of the battle finally sapped the last of his strength, sending the boy crumpling against the wall.

Mustering all of his remaining willpower, Issei slowly raised his trembling left arm to eye-level. With his breathing strained and erratic, his voice came out as weak rasping.

"Ddraig… How bad is it?"

[…]

"Ha… Haha… That bad huh…? How pathetic… For me to be reduced to this state… after only a few spells…"

[Partner… It's a miracle for you to even be alive right now… The amount of damage you suffered that day, not to mention receiving Juggernaut Drive's curse… You shouldn't look down on yourself.]

"…That day…"

The day he left the Khaos Brigade.

_It was supposed to have been simple. The hardest part of the plan, that of discretely moving Ophis to the safe house, had already been completed thanks to the surprising help from Vali. All Issei and Kuroka had to do was fend off any pursuers before going into hiding. _

_Being the Sekiryuutei and one of the strongest members within the organization, Issei had naively believed the task to be easy._

_Unfortunately, it was the Hero Faction who decided to hunt them down._

_Instead of some weak opponents, Issei and Kuroka suddenly found themselves facing against three high-tier Longinus wielders, one of which was the True Longinus. The Sekiryuutei was pushed to his absolute limits just to survive. _

_And then a scream echoed through the air, chilling Issei to the bone. The scene he witnessed was forever burned into his memories. _

_Kuroka, his mischievous but faithful companion and friend, lay deathly still on the ground. The nekomata's favoured kimono was torn apart near her ribs, revealing the jagged wound marring her flesh. _

_But worst of all was the blood, dripping onto the ground into an expanding crimson pool._

_Issei lost it._

_He ignored the mist that blocked all his attacks. He ignored the spear that ripped apart his armour. He ignored the undying monsters that gnawed at his flesh. _

_He ignored everything, and focused on his __**rage**__._

_From then his memories were hazy and fragmented, but Issei partially remembered a chant about destruction and denomination, and the power that had coursed through his veins afterwards. _

_The tables had turned._

_His mighty roar dispersed the irritating mist. His claws shredded the monsters apart to microscopic pieces. His armour grew thick enough to stop even the mighty spear dead cold. _

_He immersed himself in the hate, the wrath, the rage, and went on a rampage. It wasn't about avenging Kuroka anymore; it was about tearing apart anyone foolish enough to be around him, staining his claws crimson with the blood-_

Something soft pressed onto his side, breaking Issei from his reverie. A warmth soon permeated throughout his body dulling the pain to a tolerating level and slowly, his convulsions died down. "Issei-chin, you shouldn't hide that you were in pain."

Issei groaned as the warmth intensified, unconsciously leaning towards the nekomata. "…I didn't want to worry you."

For the next few minutes, the two just sat silently in the dimly lit room, embracing each other.

"Kuroka?"

"Nya?"

Unusual for him, Issei hesitated before proceeding. "I don't want to think about this, but you can see the symptoms for yourself. I need to prepare for the worst. If… If I'm not here anymore, I want you to look after Asia and Ophis. I don't want either of those two to fall back to the type of people they were with before. I'll be leaving everything I have to you so money shouldn't be a problem either. As for the Khaos Brigade, get in contact with Vali. He may be a battle maniac, but he will protect you."

"…"

"Kuroka…?"

"…"

Kuroka had tilted her head down hiding her face behind a curtain of dark tresses. Her cat ears were flattened against the top of her head and her twin tails were unusually still. Seeing this, Issei assumed that the silence meant she had refused his request.

Before he could say anything else though, Kuroka pounced on top of him. Taking advantage of his weakened state, the nekomata easily knocked him to the floor before locking all of his limbs under her own. With her face so close to his own now, Issei finally noticed the trace of tears in the corner of her eyes. "You're so cruel Issei."

"E-Eh?"

"Even a stray cat has a home to return to. Are you looking to deprive me of mine?"

"No! But we have to look at this realistically! If something happens, Vali can-"

"Vali wasn't the one who took me in! Vali wasn't the one who opened up his home to me! Vali wasn't the one who accepted me despite all my sins! You are Issei! You're the one who picked up this stray cat when no one else wanted her, so you need to take responsibility!"

Tears rained down on Issei's face, as the nekomata let loose her emotions.

"…Kuroka…"

"Don't just give up Issei… Don't take my home away…"

Issei was stunned. He and Kuroka had been together for years now, and they were no doubt close; but he had never imagined that Kuroka had thought of him this way. Freeing one of his arms, he reached up and embraced the nekomata. "…Hey, I haven't said I'll give up yet. I will fight this curse as long as this body still breathes. Nothing is set in stone so don't cry anymore Kuroka; I like it better when you're smiling."

The boy ran his hand soothingly through Kuroka's long black tresses causing the girl to nuzzle his neck. Slowly, her sobbing died down.

"You feeling better?"

The boy felt her nod against his neck.

"That's good."

Kuroka hesitantly peeked up from where she buried her face, now feeling more embarrassed from showing such a display of emotion. That feeling intensified tenfold when Issei grinned innocently at her, causing her cheeks to flush a deep red. Restraining herself from hiding her face again, Kuroka stared deep into Issei's eyes. "You promise…?"

"Yes."

"…"

"…"

"Issei-chin, I'd like to cash in that favour you owe me now."

"Hm, right now? Okay, as long as it's within my limits, I'll grant you your wish."

"Nyan, let me preform Bouchujutsu on you."

"Bouchujutsu…?" Issei tilted his head, unfamiliar with the term.

This time, the nekomata's eyes gave a glint not from tears, but from the mischief she was planning. "Mhm. You know how my Senjutsu can affect someone's life-force directly, right?" Kuroka released a bit more of her aura, enveloping Issei in pleasant warmth as a demonstration. "Bouchujutsu is just an… advanced technique, nya… that maximizes Senjutsu's healing properties by using a closer connection between the user and patient. I'm sure Issei-chin will feel _very good_ after I use Bouchujutsu."

"Um, are you sure you want to use up your favour for that, Kuroka? It seems to benefit me more than you." Seeing her nod (with a devilish smile that sent alarm bells ringing in Issei's head) and with no good reason to decline, the boy reluctantly agreed.

"So how do we- WAH! W-W-What are you doing Kuroka?!"

Issei's mind broke down when the nekomata began to shrug off her kimono, revealing that she did in fact forgo any underwear. Her flawless skin was now in full view, seeming to glow under the dim lighting of the room. And right there, released from their restraints and bouncing freely were-

'_Oppai!'_

Fully aware of the boy's staring, Kuroka purposely leaned forward, emphasizing her impressive chest. "Nyahaha~ I'm glad Issei-chin likes what he sees~!"

Kuroka's voice managed to snap Issei out of his daze, though he still had to exert quite an effort to look away from her assets. "K-Kuroka, n-n-not that I d-don't appreciate this, b-b-but why are you…"

The boy's voice died when the nekomata seized his hand before slowly trailing it down her body, focusing on each and every one of her curves. Giving him a positively sultry stare, Kuroka answered his unanswered question. "Isn't it normal to be naked when having sex? Of course if you want to do costume play, I don't mind~"

"S-S-S-Sex?! B-B-But w-what about B-Bouchujutsu?"

Giggling, Kuroka pressed herself flush against his body. "Issei-chin is rather slow nya~ Senjutsu is more effective when increased physical contact is made. It's why I embrace you when I'm using healing techniques. Bouchujutsu is the pinnacle of Senjutsu healing arts because it's used when a man and woman are 'one', in other words sexual intercourse nya~"

"But-"

Abruptly, the nekomata's eyes glistened with tears again and both her cat ears and tails drooped. "I-Is my body unsatisfactory…?"

Issei's last modicum of self-control disappeared and he shot forward, capturing the nekomata in a searing kiss. When the two finally separated for air, no trace of the girl's previous depression remained, replaced entirely by an impish smile.

"You tricked me!"

"Does it matter, nya?"

"…No."

With that, the two immersed themselves in their throes of passion.

xxxxx

Though it was well into the night, Issei was still wide awake in his bed contemplating the recent events.

After the 'healing session' with Kuroka, Issei faced his most challenging opponent of the day.

A hungry Ophis.

The little humanoid dragon had been quite upset at him for delaying dinner even longer without informing her and Issei had to clear out his fridge to appease her. That, and a promise to take her to several confectionary shops.

He felt his wallet weeping already.

When he felt it was time to turn in for the night, Kuroka had ambushed him in his room for another 'healing session'. He hadn't put up much of a fight against that idea.

The girl slept in his bed now, snuggled against him and naked as the day she was born. Issei couldn't resist rubbing the top of her head and watching her cat ears twitch adorably. _'Just like a lazy cat, sleeping peacefully after a particularly filling meal.'_

Quietly, as to prevent waking his lover, Issei called to his partner. "Hey Ddraig, be honest with me. How much longer do I have?"

[…Your 'sessions' with the girl have been helping but… the results are too slow. Juggernaut Drive's curse is exceedingly potent and the human life-force was never meant to take such damage. If you were to avoid combat entirely and reduce strain on your body to a minimum, I'd wager you would have five years remaining. Realistically, it's closer to five months… I'm sorry partner…]

"I see…"

Feeling Kuroka stirring from the noise, Issei remained stock still and watched as his lover unconsciously nuzzle against his chest before settling again. Double checking that she was in fact asleep, Issei continued his conversation. "Ddraig, can I ask for your opinion?"

[Of course.]

"After my parents died, I've done some things that I'm not particularly proud of just for power; joining the Khaos Brigade especially. Despite all the sins I've committed, do you think it's selfish of me to wish for a longer life? To be able to spend more happy moments with everyone?"

[Partner… I've been trapped in this Sacred Gear for a long time and have had numerous hosts before you. Barring two, each and every one of my past hosts has wished for the same thing: overwhelming power, and eventually fell victim to Juggernaut Drive's curse. Though you were subjected to the same curse, you managed to reject Juggernaut Drive. You saved that nekomata over there and showed a Dragon God that there was more to the world than silence. No partner… your wish is hardly selfish.]

His partner's thoughts put Issei's mind at ease. "Thanks Ddraig."

Glancing at his lover again, the boy smiled brightly. "That's right, I promised Kuroka that I would fight this curse until the end. I should just handle this like all my other problems."

Raising his left index finger into the air, a tiny flame burst into existent on the tip of the digit.

"If the curse stands in my way, I'll just find a way to burn it to ashes."

* * *

AN: And I'm back!

I apologize if there are excessive grammar issues. I've haven't written anything for half a year now and this (maybe) one-shot is mainly to get myself use to writing again. Still I hope some of you enjoy it and I look forward to any feedback. If you want to continue this (maybe) one-shot, give me a PM beforehand and I'll give some additional details that I haven't included here.

For those who are following IS: Resolve, I'm starting to work on it now and should have it out in 1-2 weeks (crossing my fingers). Sorry for the long wait, I'll try to make up for it with the new chapter. As I haven't been keeping up with my PM's for the past few months, if you have sent me a PM that I haven't answered yet, please resend it and I'll get back to you ASAP.


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